What Archival Really Means

(Hint: Not Much)

"Archival"

"Photo-Safe"

"Permanent"

You've seen
these words on photo albums and scrapbook supplies, but I bet you didn't know
that they are basically meaningless. Yep. That's right. Sad but true. There is no
standard legal definition for any of these terms. Which means that companies
are free use these words to describe any product they want to sell --
even products made from materials which are known to cause damage to
photographs. I have personally seen those notoriously damaging sticky magnetic albums sold as archival. I nearly caused a scene in the scrapbook store.

Check out this little-known fact: The
term "archival" has been applied so loosely and so inappropriately that it's no
longer used in International Standards for photographic materials.

But what
about acid free?

Acid
free is great. You need to keep your photographs away from
acids because they act like a very slow fire. If you've ever seen a brown burn-like
stain left by a newspaper clipping, you know exactly what I'm talking
about.

So, yes! Acid free is important, but it's
not enough to assure the longest possible life for your photographs. If you'd like
to check the acidity of any paper, there are inexpensive pH
testing pens available from most archival supply companies. Keep in mind that the lignins that remain after trees are turned into paper become acidic over time, so "lignin-free" is also important.

There is only
one way to be sure you are getting the highest quality archival supplies.

As always, independent testing gives
us the most reliable information. Thank goodness
for the PAT (Photographic Activity Test) -- an International Standard (ISO 14523) developed by the Image Permanence
Institute. The test involves incubating materials in temperature- and
humidity-controlled chambers to simulate aging. Manufacturers must pay for this test, and it takes between four and six
weeks.

The PAT
predicts potentially harmful interactions between photographs and storage
materials such as album pages, covers, and envelopes. It is also used to test
all the components of storage materials such adhesives, inks, paints, labels,
and tapes.

You can find PAT passed materials at an archival supply company such as Gaylord and Hollinger Metal Edge.

Bottom line: If it has not
passed the PAT -- you cannot be absolutely certain that it is "Photo-Safe," period.

Every year during American Archives Month, you
can purchase a Family Archivist Survival Kit from The Practical
Archivist's website. Created by Sally Jacobs, an archivist who has
worked for Library of Congress Prints and Photos, American Girl, and
Wisconsin Historical Society, this kit is designed specifically to
protect a family's most cherished ancestor photos.

Since 2012,
each kit comes bundled with more than 12 hours of
instructional how-to help burned onto CD so you can listen to it at whatever time suits your schedule best. Click here to learn all the details about what's included in the Family Archivist Survival Kit ($146 plus S&H)

About the author:

Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist is on a mission to save your
family photographs from an untimely death. She has a Master's in
Library Science with a Specialization in Archives Management and has
worked on collections housed at the Library of Congress and the
Wisconsin Historical Society, among others. You'll find plenty of free advice on things like organizing photos and preserving heirlooms on her website, practicalarchivist.comand her Practical Archivist Facebook page.

Like this angry rant? Click here to read the one where I get mad about how SO MANY bad photo products are labeled "archival"